


Sometimes Getting Fired Is The Best Thing That Can Happen

by RomMa



Category: Guardians of the Galaxy (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: BDSM, Consent is Sexy, D/s, F/M, Gender-Neutral Pronouns, Non-Consensual Bondage, Past Rape/Non-con, Rape, Rape/Non-con Elements, Relationship(s), Safe Sane and Consensual, Sex Work, Slavery, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Smut, don't like it don't read it
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-09
Updated: 2017-09-24
Packaged: 2018-11-29 17:39:09
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,603
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11445777
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RomMa/pseuds/RomMa
Summary: We all know Yondu has a soft spot for Terrans, occasionally he meets one he has a hardness for too. So when he finds a Terran Female on a remote planet he initially wants to bed her for the night, but he ends up taking her on as part of his crew.There will be relationship, D/s, and BDSM eventually. This story turned into a lot more than I was expecting.Also, my first time posting. Please be gentle, constructive feedback is welcomed!





	1. Picking up Strays

"Careful there littl'en." I heard in a booming drawl as the crate I was carrying was suddenly lifted up off my shoulders. He was dressed in a long red coat, and his skin was a deep blue. His eyes where red too, so was the shinny mohawk on his bald head.

"The fucks you're problem!?" I fired back in my best tough voice, it wasn't hard, he'd already pissed me off. There's nothing I hated more than being treating like I was weak.

"Hold on thar now, I'as just helpin'" he said, holding his hands up to show that he meant no harm. That did nothing to appease me, just raised my ire.

"Maybe you should ask first! It's a little practiced concept round these parts, I know, but ignorance has never been a good excuse in my book!" I was spitting mad, but it wasn't totally his fault.

I'd just that morning been given a 'final warning' by my boss. Keep up or I was fired. I could do the work, but I'm Terran. I'm nowhere near as strong as most of the beings in this part of the universe. It took me longer to say, to move this pallet of crates, than it would one of the others on my crew. I'd get it done, but not as fast as them. Or this big blue being, he was clearly from a race with heightened abilities, at least compared to me. Truth is, I was scared. I was barely scraping along out here in this run down outpost. Dumb luck got me shipped out here and I hadn't managed to get myself out yet. This job, it was all I had. And this big blue do-gooder was gonna get me fired!

"Ok, ok" he still had his hands up, palms facing me, making a placating gesture. "Seems we got off on tha wrong foot here, I'm Yondu Udonta, was yur name?" As I opened my mouth, ready to tell him off some more, the voice of my boss boomed out over the noise of the loading dock.

"PRIDE!!!!!" I cringed, I couldn't help it. "Inside, NOW!" I turned my head, my body was frozen in place. Sure enough, the hulking form of my boss, the overseer of this damned loading dock, was now headed into the small office just to the side of the loading bay. I swallowed hard and turned my head back to look at Yondu Odonta, the do-gooder that had just gotten me fired.

"Next time, ask first." I'd gone quite, my rage boiling down into a cold fury. And I walked off towards the office. I hadn't made it more that a few steps when the door opened and the hulking Forman reemerge. He through a sack at me, it landed right at my feet. That filthy scoundrel! He'd cleaned out my bunk, stuffing all my belongings into this meager sack. I picked it up and immediately I could tell that a lot of my stuff was 'missing'.

"Get your ass back in there!" I yelled at him as I advanced. He looked shocked for a moment than his face soured up again.

"Who do you-" I cut him off

"You ain't my boss anymore you great moldery puss bucket! Now get your ass back in that office. We're gonna settle this up right!" I'd be damned if I let him cheat me out of half my stuff AND my final paycheck. I needed to get off this floating heap of garbage, and I wasn't leaving that office till I had my due, or I was dead.

* * *

When I came back out the loading dock was silent. It was eery, I'd been working this backwater dump for almost a year and I'd never, in all that time, heard silence. I scanned the dock, no one was making eye contact with me. Well, except for Yondu. The pallet of crates I'd been loading was empty and he was kicked back on it like it was a settee. His gaze bore into me. I winked at him, what can I say? I was feeling smug after my victor over the Foreman. Yondu jumped up and stepped towards me when I made to walk away.

"Yur bleeding" he gestured towards his lip. I ran my tongue over my bottom lip and tasted the thick metallic blood. How do you know you're alive? You bleed and you feel pain. "Ya seem ta have handled that thar monster. Come out on top did ya?" I couldn't tell if he was teasing me or testing me.

"I don't get cheated. Anyone who tries regrets it." I eyed him as he kept pace with me, his much longer legs allowing him to stroll where I was power walking. I sized him up, boots to brow. He was doing an impressive job of looking casually at ease. I knew what to look for though, wouldn't have survived as long as I had without the skill to see beyond the obvious. He was alert, aware of everything going on around us, ready to uncoil in half a heart beat should the need arise. I didn't think I could take him in a fight. It seemed to me the interest he'd taken in me was headed in one of two directions: rob me or rape me. I stopped walking and turned to face him. We hadn't quite left the yard, still plenty of beings roaming around. Good place to make a stand, or disappear.

"Why you so interested?" I cocked an eyebrow and stared hard into his red eyes, nope, not intimidating at all this one.

I hoped he didn't have heightened hearing too or my bluff was a waste. I could feel my heart thumping rapidly, if he could hear it too I was busted. Then he laughed, I kid you not a full on belly laugh! Old Saint Nick would have been jealous. And just as suddenly he stopped, all the mirth drained away. I got a good look at Mr. Udonta's angry face. I wanted to wilt under that gaze, but I forced my knees to lock and firmed my resolve. I'd survived worse. This blue skinned brute would not be my end.

"Yur out of a job." His voice was gravel, I felt my spine quiver. Gone was the do-gooder act. This was the blue devil unmasked. 'BAD NEWS' flashed in my brain. I forced myself not to blink. "I happen ta have an openin' on ma crew." He was jovial again, a switch so fast my head spun.

I sputtered in poorly disguised shock "you want to hire me?!" Incredulity dripped from my mouth, no, that was blood. I licked my lip again. His features hardened.

"I need a grease monkey not a bed warmer. Ya keep that seductive shit under lock an key, clear? Don't have many rules, but whorin' ain't allowed my crew." I was stunned. I blinked a few times, he waited me out.

"My lips bleeding." Genius come back! I inwardly cringed. "You run a ship?" I through in as much skepticism as my confused mind could muster. Another mood swing as he was stepping back, gesturing to the heaping mess that I'd been loading crates on.

"Home sweet home." He smiled, and my gods but I suddenly felt my face heat and my panties dampen when those blue lips slip that azure face. This fellow could sure crack a smile, his whole face lit up and I was reminded of the full colour statues of Hindu gods from the ashram where I worshiped back home. "She needs someone ta babysit 'er boiler. It's the shitest damned job on tha crew. But ya do good, and don't get yurself killed, ya can move up tha ranks." He slouched, hooking his broad thumbs in his belt loops as he waited for my reply. The fucking lightbulb finally went off in my dust filled brain. Captain Yondu Udonta! Ravager fucking Captain Yondu Udonta!! I think my jaw actually hung open in surprise.

"I don't know anything about boilers, or spaceships for that matter." I wanted to thunk my head against an adamantium wall. This was my big break and I was totally cocking it up!

"Ignorance has never been a good excuse in my book." He quoted back to me, then he winked before turning and taking long strides back towards his ship.

I scrambled to catch up, running like the desperate lost stray that I was. I finally caught up to him at the base of the ships ramp. He turned and lobed a tomb at me. 'Boilers 101' in cracked and peeling black paint across the cover.

"Sure hope yur a quick study." He grinned at me, almost like he was daring me to fail. I was a survivor, no boiler was gonna stand between me and the best gig to drop in my lap in a decade.


	2. Responsabilitiees

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pride is settling in on the ship, sorry, the relationship developes slowly. I'm trying to keep really close to cannon with this. Yondu isn't honestly gonna open up to anyone right away, he's far too guarded. 
> 
> Still, I hope you like! :-)

Been on the ship for a few weeks now. I hadn't seen even a hint of that Blue Devil Captain, but I was keeping out of sight as much as possible. To be honest it wasn't all that bad here. Room, board, and wages. Wages would be a share in keeping with my 'level of contribution' to the success of each job. Board was a bunk in a stack of bunks that had been crammed into a poorly ventilated room. There was no way I was going to be in close quarters like that with this crew. They were the scariest, most dangerous group of lifeforms I'd ever been around. I figured they where mostly safe, the Ravager handbook had rules about what was and was not acceptable conduct amongst the crew. Although I was also pretty sure most of them hadn't read it.

The boiler now, that thing was a reck!! It made so much noise that I just couldn't sleep. It was in a horrible state, much needed repairs had been overlooked or just plain neglected for years. I'd read the manual. Then I'd gotten access to the ships digital information network, but couldn't find any reference to boilers in association with hyperspace drives. No wonder the manual was in print, this ship was a lot older than I thought!

Currently I was underneath the boiler attempting to fix what I had diagnosed as the problem. Hopefully I was right. I was doing repairs in my underwear because well, as much as I loved my spiffy new Ravager uniform, with it's tight red leather that fit me like a second skin, it was just too hot under this thing for layers of leather. I wasn't really in danger of being burned, as long as I was careful. Being in my uniform though would have been an experience in getting boiled alive.

And of course I had to crawl almost completely underneath the damn thing to get access to the section I was trying to fix. It really hadn't occurred to me how it must have looked, my ankles and feet sticking out from underneath the boiler, thrashing and kicking as I fought with the rusted closure on the access panel. I was focused, driven even, to fix that damn noise so I could get a full nights sleep. As I did battle against the rust I thought about why, with all this advanced tech, hadn't anyone invented a tool that would effortlessly solve rust problems like this one?

I was yanked from my musing, literally, when someone grabbed me by the ankle and hauled me out from under the boiler. I didn't know who the hell had their mitts on me, but I came up swinging. I had the wrench in my hands and aimed for where I hopped a head would be, not bothering to waste the precious seconds it would have taken to see who, or what, my attacker was. I came up short when my wrist was caught by none other than the Captain himself. I dropped the wrench immediately, but he didn't let go of me. I just wanted to make it clear that I was not fighting. Even keeping to myself like I had been I'd still overheard the crew as they shared their favorite stores about what a badass Captain Yondu was.

The fire in his red eyes reminded me of a star going supernova, I'd seen that happen once and it was not an experience I wanted to repeat. I tell you, it was harder than it had been the first time I met him to keep my spine straight as we faced off. My insides felt like jelly, but I knew how dangerous showing weakness was. I kept my wits and just froze, forcing myself to breath evenly as I waited for whatever came next.

"What in tha hell du ya think yur doin' in here neked!" He howlered at me, twisting my wrist up and pulling me along with it. I was instantly up on my toes trying to ease the stretch on my joints, it wasn't helping.

"I'm not naked, I have cloths on." It was true, my underwear consisted of a pair of shorts that came mid thigh on me, along with a wonderfully supportive and totally unrestrictive racerback style tank-top that was my bra. Really, I was covered in a lot more than I would've been in my underwear back home. He just held me there and I finally lost the staring contest. Looking away I tried to suppress a grunt of pain. This was really starting to hurt, and not in that I'll-be-pleasantly-sore-for-a-few-days kinda way either. Yondu finally let my arm go, rocking me back onto my heels. I rubbed my wrist, surreptitiously rolling my shoulder as I waited.

"Thought yu'd gotten yurself stuck under tha old beast." Was that an apology? Hell, I'd take it.

"Hold on, you're spying on me?" I glanced around the room, checking for cameras. He chuckled.

"I spy on everyone. Ya think I trust this pack a thieves an killers?" His laughter held no mirth.

"You've got hidden cameras all over the ship?" It made sense, really, this was a rough crew. I was still surprised though. Didn't he have anyone he trusted? Did I? Honestly, life in these parts was too dangerous to trust freely.

I blushed as a thought came to mind: just how much was he spying on me? I mean, a girls got needs. I thought I had some privacy in here, only the Captain, his first mate, and myself where supposed to have the code to get in, so I'd felt safe enough to satisfy those needs myself.

"How much have you been spying on me?" Now it was my turn to fix him with a furious glare. My privacy had been violated, I had been violated. I was understandable sensitive to those kinds of things considering the time I'd spent in slavery.

He looked past me and seemed to honestly just have noticed the sleeping area I'd set up. He stepped around me and walked over, he toed my blankets. "Ya sleepin' in here? Didn't ya get a bunk assignment? Ya ain't even got yurself a mattress." He looked pretty upset. I don't why, I'd had far worse. The boiler kept the room warm, and I'd been making due without even the little padding the blankets provided for years. All in all, it was one of my better sleeping nests.

"Yah I got a bunk assignment," I walked over to my makeshift bed and fixed the blankets he'd mussed with his boot. I scowled up at him. "Packed in a room like a sardine with about two dozen smelly aliens, and no ventilation or air circulators. You think I'm sleeping in there you're crazy." I'm not exaggerating, it had been truly foul! If not for how crowded the bathrooms where I would have been convicted none of them bathed. I'd actually figured out pretty quick that there was a window of about 10 minutes during shift change that I could be totally alone in the bathroom. It was my little slice of heaven in a dismal world.

Captain was rubbing his chin in thought, uh-hmm'ing to himself. Then he eyed me, looking down at me where I was still kneeling by my bed. I'm sure I was imagining it, but there seemed to be a hunger in the red flair of his eyes. I hastily stood up, feeling my cheek heat as I blushed. I was totally imagining things, I had to be.

"Fair nuf'. Guess I should be praisin' yur work ethic. Keepin' so close a eye on yur responsabilitiees like ya are." He annunciated each syllable in responsibilities, it seemed almost that he was laughing at me. But I was feeling good natured so I let it slide. "Could least get ya a mattress. Even that bugger with tha exo-skeletin' gots a mattress."

The silence stretched out as Yondu crossed his arms, was he waiting for something? I opened my mouth to speak and he cut me off "Ya whant a mattress ur not?" He barked at me, then he nodded towards where I'd thrown my uniform up over some pipes. "Get yur cloths on!" Oh! Yah that made sense, I'd be going with him to get my mattress.

As we stepped out into the hall he rounded on me, pinning me against the bulkhead. He pointed his thick, blunt finger right in my face, I felt myself go crossed eyed focusing on the blue digit. He clucked his tongue and I looked up into his eyes. Those deep red obes bored into me.

"Just so's were good n clear, ya ain't never ta be out a yur uniform ship-side. Got it?" I nodded vigorously. I wanted to point out that that particular rule was not in the Ravager handbook. But I felt the wiser, safer, choice was to keep my mouth shut.


	3. Neked

The mess hall did double duty as the rec center on this ship. It was that magic hour when the day shift was mostly finished with dinner, but still lingering as they wound down before hitting the rack. While the night shift was tucking in and getting their breakfast. I'd say 80% of the crew was in the mess, so there was no empty table for the newest crew member, yours truly, to be by myself.

I was still an enigma to the crew. They all knew by now that I was Terran, but being that my sole responsibility was the maintenance and overseeing of the boiler, I didn't keep to any regular schedule. I also rarely made an appearance when any of my crewmates where around. So why had I made an exception? I was hungry! Cap had finally picked up some real Terran food, not the pre-broken down amino acid grul that had been my subsistence these last few months. So here I was, making an appearance. My goal was a meal, that was it.

Till that buffon Taserface tried to assault me. It started with him yelling out "How much!?" as I took my tray and headed to the only space I could find, at a table between two beings (I'd learned pretty quickly after I'd been taken not to assume what gender a being was, or if they even had a gender) that I at least hoped would let me eat in peace.

"Last I checked, the food here was free." I hollered back at Taserface, not even looking in his direction. I was hoping that he would get the hint and leave me alone. But no such luck, this guy was persistent. Next thing I knew he had shoved aside the being next to me and straddled the bench.

"Not the food Tarran" he said with what I guess he thought was a suggestive leer. The effect was more like he'd slapped rotten hamburger on his face. Then he made the mistake of putting his hands on me. So I did what I had to do, I put him down. Hard.

I'm above average in height compared to other Terran females, come to think of it I'm actually taller than most Terran males. Around these parts though, I just come up looking small in comparison. Physical size aside, I'm quick. And I'm damn good in a fight. Before Taser(rotten hamburger)face knew it his skull was bouncing off the table. I took his leg out with a sharp vertical kick to the side of his knee. His face bounced off the bench on his way down.

"Touch me again," I said, crouching down to grab a fist full of his slimy hair. I pulled his head back, then laid the razor edge of my knife along his neck "and I'll slit you're throat." Then I climbed up onto the table and projected so that every being in the hall could hear me. "I'm not here for the amusement or enjoyment of any of you. I'm not for sale. I am not a whore." I turned full circle as I spoke, making eye contact with a lot of them. Satisfied that my message had been received I hopped down from the bench and left the hall. Without eating my real Terran food. Damn it.

  
* * *  
Hungry as I was I decided to go take a shower before returning to the boiler room and having more pre-broken down amino acids. The idea of it made me cring. A nice, hot shower was exactly what I needed. I peeled out of my Ravager leathers and hung up all my cloths. I felt better already, I really was much more comfortable naked. The cool air felt so good on my bare skin. I leaned my forehead against the wall of the open stall and turned the nobs. Water sprayed out soaking me and I sighed deeply. I just stood there, head against the wall as water rushed down my body. I knew better than to let my guard down like that, I really did.

"Heard ya had a bit of a tussle in tha mess. Put tha' ol' dog Taserface down good." The Captain had snuck up on me. I turned around and he was right there, standing just outside of the spray of the water. Gulp. He didn't sound angry, but he wore that perpetual frown so it was hard to tell.

Being blut and straight forward had been working so far, almost like he was constantly test me. Pushing me too see just how tough I was, trying to find my breaking point. I wasn't anywhere near my breaking point, but I was angry.

"He thought he could buy my body for the night. I needed to put that idea out of his head, and the rest of the crews too." I squared my shoulders and returned Yondu's stare. To the Captain's credit he did not look me over, just held my gaze with those deep red eyes of his. To my credit I didn't faultier under the weight of that stare. I think I was getting better at this.

"Tha's a fair point, good ta set them boys straight. But I thought I told ya 'bout being out a uniform whilst ship-side." He gestured in an up and down motion towards me. I'd had enough of this. I didn't care that I was naked. I walked right up to him, gesturing as I gave him a piece of my mind.

"I wasn't naked in the mess hall! I was just trying to get a decent fucking meal! You think I'm just gonna sit there and take it when anyone try's to assault me? Fat fucking chance of that!" He didn't budge, I had splashed him in my gesticulations and the wet drops rolled down the front of his coat, and one fat drop rolled off the tip of his nose. I would not back down, I would stay strong. He started to reply but I didn't let him. I'd had enough of being bullied for the day. "and If you're telling me that I can't have a fucking shower ANY TIME I'm confined to ship, then you just drop me off at the next possible jump. I don't give a damn where it is! I've been forced into truly depraved living conditions before, and there ain't no god damned reason why I should be deprived of access to showers when there's plenty on this flying rust bucket." The corners of Yondu's mouth had started to twitch up like he was suppressing a smile, but when I insulted the ship his face fell back into the deep scowl that was its norm.

He took a few steps forward, effectively backing me up to the wall, and leveled his face just millimeters from mine. "Next jump is tu a gas planet. Ya want off, I'm happy tu push ya out tha airlock m'self." I swallowed, I felt faint. He wasn't bluffing. It's the quite anger, I'd learned, that one needs to be the most wary of. Yondu was whispering.

"No thank you, Sir." I was proud of myself that my voice didn't crack.

"Get dressed." He said, then he walked out of the shower. I got dressed, fuming the whole time. The asshole!

He was waiting for me when I came out. I took a moment to admire him; there was something about the way he carried himself that commanded attention. He had a presence above and beyond his physical stature. He already had a lot going on in the physical stature department, so it really added up to a whole lot of very dangerous, but oh so sexy!

"Ya ain't safe on this here ship." He held his hand up when I made to respond, I wisely kept silent. "An I ain't gonna appoint ya no body guard neither. Ya done good taday showin' tha crew yur tough. Fact is though, ya ain't nearly tough enough." Then he handed me some sort of pistol. It appeared to be energy based, since it didn't have anywhere for spent casings. And it was beautiful!! All blue and black metal, it even had a Ravager badge on the grip. "Ya know haw ta use it?" He arch a brow at me as he asked the question.

"Yes sir." I answered reverently, this gun was probably the most deadly weapon I'd held in my life. This thing was seriously cutting edge and probably worth a small fortune. I looked back up at the Captain. "I mean, I know guns Sir, but I'm rusty. It's been a few years." He harrumphed at me.

"Least yur holdin' it proper. Come on, let's see if ya can shoot it" he took the pistol from me and holstered it under his coat. Then he signaled for me to follow as he walked off. I jumped to keep pace. "Here." He said as he shoved a sandwich at me. A real sandwich!!! I was suddenly giddy!! I started into it as we continued along the corridors.

The Captain didn't speak as we walked and I was too busy stuffing my face to hold a conversation. He lead me to an area of the ship I hadn't been before. No real surprise there. The ten cent tour I'd gotten when I first arrived on ship had only included the mess hall, the bathrooms, the tailor's, my bunk assignment, and the boiler room. I hadn't exactly been doing much exploring since.

The room he lead us into was more like an empty cargo bay than a shooting rang, but I really shouldn't have been surprised. The Ravagers didn't have a whole lot in the way of structure and order so a formal range would have been out of place. There was a table for laying out weapons, and the far wall had dummies and other targets set up at varying distances and heights.

The Captain walked over to the table and pulled out the pistol again. It really was beautiful, it looked like it had been made for him personally. I couldn't hardly look away from it, I found myself feeling excited but also kinda scared. I'd been living in San Francisco for about seven years before I'd been abducted. In that time most of my gun handling had been riffles for hunting. SF could be rough, but walking around with a hand gun was just asking for trouble! So it had been a knife and a 'don't fuck with me' attitude when I was in the city, and rifles when I'd gone hunting and camping. I shivered thinking about camping, if I never went camping again it would be too soon.

"Ain't no toy darlin'," Yondu said gruffly. Guess he'd been trying to get my attention, I had to keep in mind how dangerous memory lane was. No point dwelling on the past anyways, I was never going back. Not for the good, most definitely not for the bad.

"It's so beautiful" I commented, my fingers itched to hold it again.

"That it is, an like most beautiful thangs is damned deadly." He was looking at me strangely as he said that. What was that look about anyways? I couldn't help but think how he'd just seen me naked. Was he gonna ask about the scars? About my tattoos?

"I understand Sr. I have a lot of respect for firearms." He hurmphed at me but seemed to be satisfied with my answer.

"I'm gonna do a lot a talkin', an I hate ta repeat m'self so ya best listen up." I nodded to show I was listening and he started the tutorial by taking the gun apart.

I watched in fascination as he removed each piece with expert dexterity and care. I found myself focusing on what he was doing, not letting myself get distracted by his commentary. He really knew a lot when it came to weaponry!!! Seemed he couldn't pass up the chance to share his breadth of knowledge either, instead of just focusing on the gun in his hands. I tried to pick up on what was relevant to this gun, but soon gave up and let his words wash over me. He had such a sexy voice! Damn! I had to stop thinking about him like that. He was The Captain, technically my boss!

Yondu was going slow for my benefit but it was obvious that he could have taken the firearm apart with his eyes closed in a matter of seconds. When he got to the energy core I felt my breadth catch in my throat. I noticed his look of awe and felt less silly about my own reaction. It had a steady pulsed with a deep blue light. He held it up and squinted at the light coming off of it.

"It ain't ever gonna run out a shots on yah." He was beaming, his pride in the weapon obvious. Yup, he'd definitely had it commissioned personally. I was gonna owe him for this. Then suddenly his hands where a blur and he had the pistol all back together before I could blink. "Now ya turn." He said, stepping back to make room for me to handle the weapon.

Nervous didn't even begin to describe how I felt picking it up. Thank all the gods in every universe that I had an eidetic memory!! I lost all track of time as I repeated what I'd seen. I realized I was grinning once it was fully disassembled, but glancing at Yondu had me swallowing reflexively and coughing to cover up my elation. He didn't look the least bit amused. But he did nod at me in what I was gonna take for approval. Then the silence stretch out and I begin to feel a little uncomfortable.

"Ya ain't done yet!" He finally barked, shaking his head and sighing.

Oh, right! I looked down at all the pieces, trying to reconstruct the weapon in my mind. I scanned the table, and then it clicked. Like a puzzle putting itself back together in my minds eye. It went back together a lot more quickly than it had come apart. I wasn't feeling at all cocky though as I met The Captains gaze. And damn if he wasn't grinning fit to split his whole face in half!

"Hot damn girl! Ya got some skills! Tha's good! Tha's real good! I might make a honest ta goodness real Ravager out a ya after all!" He even clapped me on the back! I stumbled and bumped into the table. He seemed to noticed how excited he was and immediately that frown was back. "Humph, but can ya shoot anythin'? Tha's what's tha most important. Come on." And he waved me over to stand across from the targets. "Go on, I wanna see yur aim." So I aimed for a blocky target against the back wall, took a breath and squeezed as I exhaled.

This gun had no recoil! I started bouncing up on my toes grinning again, this definitely wasn't like any Terran weapon! I didn't bother looking at the target, I knew I'd missed my shot. With no recoil I was gonna need to change the way I aimed. Yondu looked like he wasn't sure what to make of my performance. I took aim again and was getting ready to fire when he barked at me.

"Stop! Not like that!" He shook his head, looking kinda disappointed. "Ya got same bad habits need ta be broken thar little Terran." He came over and stood behind me, right behind me! "Just easier if I show ya" He used his foot to spread my legs apart "ya need ta widen yur stance." Then he ran his hands down the length of my arms to cover my hands with his. Now his chest was pressed firmly to my back and I was having a very hard time focusing on the gun! "Yur gonna be shooting as ya run most like. Ya need ta make yurself as small a target as possible."

He took one of my hands off the gun and brought it to my hip, gripping said hip quite snugly with his own broad hand. Pressed to me like he was all he had to do was shift his own stance to move me along with him. He turned so that we where standing sideways to the target. I still had one arm stretched out pointing the gun at the target with Yondu still pressed warmly to my back. No way I was gonna hit anything with him holding me like this. Thoughts of him tossing me up on his shoulder and carrying me way to strip me down and -

"Pride! Ya need ta focus!" His gravely voiced reprimand brought me out of my fantasy. Right, target practice. So I sighted down my arm like I would the barrel of a riffle, exhaled, and squeezed the trigger. And damned if I didn't hit it!! I glanced up at Yondu where he stood, still quite snug against my back and, wait, did he just sniff my hair? No, no that look was his usually frown. Guess it wasn't as good a shot as I'd thought.

"Take a few more shots." He said curtly as he stepped back, walking around to the other side of the table.

So I tried relaxing into this new stance and started firing off shots. I'd glance at The Captain ever few hits to check if he had more instructions for me, but his face stayed in that perpetual frown. Eventually I did relax and stopped glancing around, my full attention focused on the targets. I tried walking towards and away from the targets. Then I began walking down the line, firing on various different targets. I switched gun hands and found that my aim was actually a little better in the other hand. Soon I was smiling again, having a genuinely good time. It had been quite a while since I'd been able to truly relax. I chuckled as I realized that I felt safe. Of all places to start feeling safe the shooing rang on an intergalactic pirate ship was an odd choice, but it fit. I sure had changed a lot in the last ten years...

A noise behind me startled me out of my revelry. I turned and saw Yondu unpacking some gear from a storage locker. He was in the corner and motioned me over.

"Now I'd usually give ya a under arm holsta, but I'm thinkin' tha crew needs ta see that yur carrying. So I figure a belt holsta or somthin' is bettar." He kept digging through the gear, pulling out and setting aside various bits and pieces. "Most a tha crew'll see tha' thar pistal an' pass on givin' ya grief. Ah, here we ga now. Mmmhhhm, this'll do." He passed me a belt with holster that looked like it tied around the thigh, having a gun strapped low on my hip would certainly get noticed. "Next time someone comes after ya,"

"I thought you said wearing the gun exposed would keep the crew from harassing me?" I really should start keeping my mouth shut. He was pinning me with that blazing gaze of his again.

"Don't interrupt." He was scowling something fierce, I felt my neck start to perspire. "I said most a tha crew'd leave ya be, not all. Thar ain't no IQ test ta join this here crew. I takes em mean, backstabbing, an moral less on purpose. Ya listenin'" I nodded "Next time, and thar will be a next time." He pointed a blunt royal blue finger at me, I nodded again. "Yu kill em, hear? Ya must a read tha damned handbook, can't figur any othar reason yu'd a let Taserface live." He held my gaze a moment before continuing, those red eyes seemed to be weighing me. "Ya have my permission ta kill a crewmate. Can ya do that?" I nodded, I was starting to feel like a bobble head doll.

"I've done it before." I told him with a shrug. I examined the holster, mostly to have an excuse to break eye contact with The Captain. Staring into those red eyes of his was beginning to make me wet in other places, gotta remember he's my boss! I held the holster by the straps and tried to figure out which was the belt. It was a mishmash of different leather pieces, about four different colours. Looked like it had been fashioned out of a few belts, but it had more buckles than was strictly necessary.

"Here," The Captain said, taking the holster from me, "I'll help ya get it fitted." He turned it around for a moment than he wrap the belt around my waist. He took the other straps and wound them around my thigh. Having his big warm hands on me again really wasn't helping my resolve to stop fantasizing about him. But soon enough, or maybe not soon enough, he had the straps all buckled and took the pistol from me, securing it in the holster. "Take a walk, see how it feels."

The buckles fastened on the front of my leg, which was actually pretty comfortable. I walked back over to the targets and practiced drawing from the holster. Yah, I'd need to put in some work before I got the hang of this. Yondu came up behind me again, sadly not pressed up against me, and kicked my back leg out opening my stance pretty wide. Turned sideways like I was the effect dropped me down on one knee. I landed kinda hard and scowled up at him, ready to mouth off about his rough handling...until I realized that I was at a pretty good angle to shoot.

"Ya ain't always gonna be standin' when ya shoot. Sometimes yur gonna need ta get down low, take cover. Good ta feel comfortable on tha ground." I glanced up at him, feeling rather cheeky.

"Oh, I've always been pretty comfortable on my knees. It's a good position for me." And just like that his good mood swung to the deep south.

"Whatn't it beinin' mistaken fur a whore tha got ya inta this here mess in tha first place?" He scowled, he literally spoke in a scowl. Well fuck...oops. "Get up, thas anuf fur now." And he headed towards the exit. I hurried to catch up with him. We headed down yet another corridor unfamiliar to me. I glanced at him sideways as we walked, he was doing that mock relaxed thing again. I couldn't imagine he expected to be attacked on his own ship, was I making him uncomfortable?

"Ya can take tha' holster ta tha tailor an get it dyed ta match ya uniform." He said suddenly, guess he wasn't mad after all?

"Um, do I have to?" He looked me at, his eyebrows raised questioningly. "I mean, I like that it's a bunch of different colours. It's more my style." I think I was blushing. I felt my face get hot, ok, yah, I was blushing.

"Humph, ya, alrigh'. Keep it how ya like." He led me to a corridor not too far from the boiler room. "Look." He gestured to the keypad. "Payin' attention?" I nodded yes. He punched in the code slow to make sure I saw every number. He opened the door, then closed it and stepped back, signaling for me to enter the code this time. I did so successfully and opened the door, he nodded for me to walk in. It was a private room! It had its own bathroom, toilet, bathtub, and shower. I had to pick my jaw up off the ground as I stared at him, incredulous.

"Ya can use this. I'm tha only one else knows the code." Then he winked at me before striding off down the corridor. Yup, I owed him big time!

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was a lot of fun to write, even though it took so long. The whole gun thing was inspired by Michael Rooker's Instagram post about his Yondu Ravager glock. Except I don't really know about guns so I had to pin down a friend and get my own gun handling/shooting tutorial. Which was a lot of fun too!! All in all, this whole chapter was a really blast and I hope you liked it!!


	4. Torture

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yondu is off ship setting up the next job and the crew gets into a lot of trouble

Those incompetent cretins!

Sigh.

We'd been boarded.

Captain was off ship setting up our next job. It had been too time sensitive to wait for all the extra jumps a ship of this size, and age, required. So he'd gone on ahead in his private rig and left us to catch up. Should have been simple, taken about three days to give the crew enough of a break between jumps. But those idiots had to get greedy. Tried to capture a ship that was all alone. It was so obvious a trap even these fools should have seen through it, but no.

Sigh.

I wasn't the kind to hole up and let the chaos pass me by. That never really worked anyways and was, in fact, a great way to get oneself dead. So when the alien baddies had boarded us I headed out into the fray alongside the rest of the crew.

I was no slouch in a fight mind. Before I'd been taken I was a regular at the local MMA gym. A lady in my line of work needed to keep fit. The Mission District of San Francisco was not a very safe place, especially around 1am when our shoots would usually wrap. Then I'd spent the last ten years or so with every fight literally being life or death. So I had held my own along side my crew mates. Except we we're just that much out-numbered. Which is how I found myself in the mess hall, shoulder to shoulder with about a dozen of my crew mates. The room was full of the bodies of the dead. Some of there's, mostly ours. Oh, and living baddies too. Lots and lots of them still alive.

Captain hadn't been exaggerating, Terran's where rare, and this bunch was not going to pass up the chance to play with one. Lucky for me they were sadists? They really seemed to be more interested in beating on me than raping me. For which I was grateful. Thing is, I can take A LOT of abuse. It's like my super power.

I didn't need to wait too long, I knew. Captain would have gotten the distress call and should be on his way. That man was a badass!! My initial assessment of him had been spot on. No way I could have taken him in a fight. No way any one being could (or like 100 for that matter), not with that yakka arrow of his. He was a one man army-stopping-machine. Once he got back he'd make real quick work of this rabble. I just had to hang in till he did. And hang I would, seeing as they'd mounted me to the rafter by my arms.

I used to get paid for doing just this. We'll sort of. Consent makes a huge difference in the world of sadists and masochists. Back home on Earth I'd been a regular sub performer at Kink.com. In a consensual scene I had a lot of power. If I got too raw in one spot, or was feeling overwhelmed in any way I could call a stop or signal to lighten up for a bit. I also had trust for who was Topping me and knew that while I was gonna hurt a lot, I wasn't going to be injured. Right now I had no such assurances.

That made me angry.

I smiled as my dearest friend rage built up inside of me. These alien baddies wanted a show? I'd give them one. I screamed out my rage, took the pain of their abuse inside me and turned it into fuel. I did some damage to my arms thrashing against the restraints, but I was in control of that pain. That little amount of control gave me the anchor I needed.

I lost track of time, it's easy to do when you're whole world is consumed with pain. Then I heard the blissful sound of the Captain's whistle. I was gonna owe him for saving me this time. I didn't care. When I saw the red streak of his arrow zip around the room putting down my abusers, I felt a profound relief.

I smiled weakly as he stepped into the room. I even waggled my fingers at him. His scowl only deepened at my salutation. Oh right, I was naked. Not like it was the first time the Captain had seen me naked. Actually, I was almost completely covered in blood and welts so my naked flesh wasn't really recognizable.

"Get her down." Cap was furious, but I was grateful for the flame of fury in his eyes. It had saved my life.

Kraglin got me down and wrapped me up in a coat. Not his coat, it was way too big on me to have belonged to the slender man. But damn did it smell good! Was this Yondu's coat? That was the last conscious thought I had before waking up in what passed as a sick bay on this ship. Gratitude for the healing tech, limited though it was, flooded me as I came to. I could move, nothing was broken, and it did not hurt to breathe. I'd called that a win.

"Cap said for you to go see him once you woke up." The Med Bay crew-person informed me. "Pride, you're one hell-of-a badass!" They said as I swing my legs over the side of the healing platform. They handed over my cloths and I won't lie, the sweet soreness of my still tender flesh made it all worth the ordeal I had just been through. Thank the gods I was such a heavy masochist. That one trait had kept me alive more times than I could count!

As I made my way through the ship looking for the Captain, stranger things started happening. Like more of my crew mates calling me a badass, or patting me on the back, or high-fiving me. Taserface actually apologized for harassing me! Can you believe that?! Everywhere I went the remaining crew treated me like I was some kinda of hero.

Weird...

I finally came across Kraglin who told me where to find The Captain. He was up in the ships surveillance room (which I had thought was supposed to be some kind of big secret, but Kraglin didn't hesitate to give me the exact location). I walked in and found footage from one of the many cameras up on screen. The UK's CC TV network didn't have a thing on the system in this ship! The Captain was paranoid, and knowledge was power. Especially about his own crew. Wait a second...yep, that was me, getting tortured.

"Yur pretty tough thar littl' Terran." He said to me, sounding honestly impressed. "See now why they call ya Pride."

"That isn't where I got the name Pride." I answered him, none too amused by the sight of him sitting there all lounged back, watching the footage of me being tortured. I used to get paid good money for a scene like that, now Yondu was getting a free show.

"Mm-hm, why they call ya Pride than?" He wasn't even looking at me. I didn't know why he'd called me up here, but I took no enjoyment in watching my own torture. Yondu actually didn't seem to be either. I mean, he is the Captain, I expect he'd needed to review all the footage of the skirmish? Right?

Knowing that I had survived what I was seeing on the screen sure made me feel like the badass everyone had been calling me. I folded my arms over my chest and cocked a brow at him. Is that why he'd called me up here? The Captain had funny ways of looking after his crew. He didn't know my past, so he couldn't know that I wasn't mentally scarred from what I'd survived. Well, not more than I'd be able to shake off after a little while. Perhaps this was his way of showing me how strong I was, and that I had nothing to be ashamed of?

He let the silence stretch out as the recording played back. When the red blur of his arrow streaked across the screen he finally turned to face me. "Fair 'nough" he said, hands held up in that placating gesture of his. "Seems yur true talents been wastin'way down with tha' thar boiler. Yur gettin' a promotion." His face turned stern then as he said "Just try n keep yur cloths on, 'member what I said 'bout bein' properly in uniform whilst ship-side."

I gaped at him, seriously?! That asshole!! I glanced back up toward the screen as he hopped up and strode past me. There was Kraglin untying me and wrapping me up. And then...what! Yondu had picked me up and carried me from the room himself. I was dumbfound.

Just then Captain circled back and signaled for me to follow him. I took a deep breath when he passed me this time, yup, Cap smelled damn good. I smiled, and then shook my head at myself. My crush on the blue devil just wasn't going away. No way that would end well.


	5. Campin'

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pride's promotion, some one-on-one time with Yondu, but sadly no s'mores

"Where gonin' campin" The Captain said with a wide grin once I'd caught up with him. 

"The fuck you say?!" Was my instant response. Oops...Captain did not like that answer. 

"Campin'" he said again, steel in his voice. Oops indeed, so much for happy Yondu. "I'm told it's a well loved pass time on Terra." I opened my mouth but he held up his hand for silence. "I don't care if ya like campin' er not. We got a job an yur comin'. Time ta show if ya deserve tha' promotion." 

Six hours of sleep and a few jumps later we were planet side, just The Captain and myself. He turned to me and said "Strip." 

"The fuck you say!?" I was apparently a broken record today. 

"Strip. T'aint like I haven't seen ya neked afore...twice." He was seriously joking right now? Nope, he was not joking.

"You've done nothing but chew me out for inappropriate nudity and sexual innuendo since we meet. Now you want me to strip!" I may have stamped my foot, a tiny bit. That bastard. 

"We ain't ship-side righ' now. So strip." I crossed my arms. Not. Gonna. Happen. 

"I quit." It's possible he didn't hear me cause for some reason he started smiling. That grin of his made me weak in the knees. 

"Gud. Hand over yur kit." And he held his hand out, palm up. When I didn't budge he made a move-it-along gesture with his outstretched hand. 

"Captain, you're asking me to trust you right now." He nodded at me, pulling his hand back. 

"That I am Pride. But ain't like I'm asking ya ta du somethin' ya aren't already inclined ta du." He flashed me that angelic grin of his, all sharp teeth and azure lips. "I ain't gonna hurt ya. Yur new promotion, now yur a runner. Yur bait." Like that was any better. He cut me off before I could muster a response. "I'm here personally ta make sure ya don't get hurt. But times wastin' so strip an be quick." Just like that. Hell no! 

"Captain," I took a deep breadth, I knew loosing my temper with him wasn't going to work. "You really don't know what you're asking right now. You don't know how hard this is for me." His eyes softened. 

"Think yu'd be surprised how much I du understand. Thin' is, yur crew. An crew gots ta contribute. I ain't sayin' yur stuck bein' a runner, but fur this here job I need ya. We lost too much crew for me ta let ya off with boiler duty. An if'n ya'onta leave tha crew, well; once I's settled up payment from this job I plan ta head over ta Contraxia. Ya got yurself a far bit o pay comin'. Ya want ta stay on Contraxia, it's a lot better n where ya were when ya joined up." 

I'd say! Contraxia was like a planet of Las Vegas's. Ranging from high class and high price down to the boot scrapings of the lowest scum bags. Captain must be planning to flesh out the crew again. There where always down on your luck types bumming along on that planet. That was great and all for Yondu and the rest of the potential crew, but I still had a problem. 

"Yondu." I spoke quietly and he seemed to understand the importance of what I was trying to say. "I honestly don't think I can do this." I was struggling suddenly for how to explain. "Damn it!" 

The frustration of feeling that old helplessness raise up was just pissing me off. Anger wouldn't help me now, not like it had so many times before. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, trying to get a hold on my rage. When I opened my eyes Yondu was right in front of me. When I didn't start or take a step back he put his hand on my shoulder. Warm, strong fingers gripped me firmly, I felt my frustrations melt. That's what having his hand on me felt like. Damn it but I couldn't deny that I felt safe with The Captain. Ok, I could do this. 

"I have faith in yur abilities Pride." I shook my head. 

"You know that's my slave name right?" His crimson eyes widened in surprise. 

"Than why tha hell ya still go by it?" 

"So that I don't forget and end up back there." He held my eyes as he gave my shoulder a comforting squeeze. 

"I du know somethin' bout that doll." The pet name had me cracking a smile. Could I do this. Could I trust Yondu? Really trust him? 

"What you're asking me to do, it puts me right back there." Silence hung between us as his gaze searched my eyes, did he really understand? 

"They hunted ya." He shook his head, the flame in his eyes going cold. He was pretty angry about that. "This is gonna be similar- now hear me out!" He said as I tried to cut in, I swallowed my comment. "But only in appearance. We're here ta capture a rare beast. I gots a paste here fur ya ta spread on yur skin that'll attract tha thin'. Ain't no sentient being huntin' ya out here, never on my watch. Ya hear me?" He paused for my answer and I nodded yes. "Yur quick, yur tough, and ya got great instincts. Ya are gonna be in danger, but not any more n ya are on tha ship. Just in a different way. They're mighty territorial these beasts, so I know there's just tha one in this here area. I have faith in ya." His last sentence hung in the air. Did I have faith at all anymore? I laughed, it was all so ridiculous! 

"Yah, alright." I said as I pulled away from him and started to shuck out of my Ravager leathers. If I couldn't do this, at least I'd know that I'd done all I could to face my fear. Besides, Yondu was such a badass I had to be safe if he was watching my back. Right? Thinking of Yondu watching my back while I ran around naked brought heat to my cheeks. As comfortable as I was in my bare skin thinking of that azure Captain not taking his eyes of off me was getting me to blush like I hadn't once spent seven years working in porn. I wanted him bad! 

* * * 

That night we made camp at what I had to admit was one of the most beautiful spots of wilderness I'd ever seen. The beast was HEAVLY sedated and in an energy cage. The game of cat and mouse had actually turned out to be a lot of fun! Enough so that I'd been able to forget why I hated camping so much. When I came back from my bath in the nearby stream Yondu had a fire going. It was nice, but it brought back all of the bad memories. So naturally I was pretty grumpy. Unfortunately Yondu was in a great mood, which meant he was pretty chatty. 

"Ya did really good t'day Pride!" He smiled at me, real cheerful like. I scowled in return and looked up to the stars. "Ya know what them stars are?" He asked, soundly like he was hoping I'd say no so he could tell me all about it. 

"Yes." I answered tersely.

"No ya don't," his voice was gentle and I couldn't help but glancing at him. He was watching me, and he looked....well, he looked tired. Ok, this was different. I sat up and faced him. 

"No, I don't" I agreed. "But back home I could have told you the names and histories of every constellation and every star in them." How was it he could get me opening up about my past with a simple question? Just like that? 

"Mmmhm, Terran Astronomy gots a real interestin' history. Ain't all bullshit neither! Them ancient Terran philosophers was real smart folk. Understood more'n they realized 'bout the universe." 

"How do you know so much about Terra anyways?" I wasn't at all in the mood to chat, but Yondu had just cracked a window into his personality and I was curious. "Come to think of it, you know kind of a lot about Terra. Why's that?" 

Yondu started getting a little defensive "What?" He answered, seemingly offended. "Du I look ignorant ta ya." 

I giggled, I don't know why but it just felt right. He looked kinda silly, all dirt covered with the flickering reflection of the fire light making his fin look like real flame. Then I realized what he was reminding me of I started laughing so hard I'm pretty sure I snorted. He looked like Hades from that Hercules cartoon! Oh boy, I hadn't thought about stuff like that for years. I sobered abruptly as I suddenly found myself fighting to hold back tears. This, right here, this is why I never thought about home. 

"No Sir," I said to him, "I don't think you're ignorant at all. Terra's just a real out-of-the-way place. Why would you bother?" He suddenly looked a little uncomfortable, "What you got some kind of a soft spot for Terra?" I followed up quickly so he wouldn't try to evaded my question. He did that abrupt 180 mood change of his and was suddenly smiling and laughing. 

"Well shoot!" He he said as he wound down to chuckles. "I am tha one as brought it up." Then he paused and looked pensively into the flames for a few long moments. He didn't look away as he began to speak. "I wanted ta know more 'bout where I come from, 'bout who ma people where." 

I started to chuckled a little bit but immediately felt bad when I saw the look on his face.

"Yu just gonna keep laughing at me an ya can spend tha rest a tha night in thar!" He scolded me gruffly, standing to point to his personal rig. "I'll cut this little shore leave short. An ya can stay in thar till tha ship comes ta get us n tha' beast!" He finished, and he did look serious, but I just couldn't stop grinning. "Thought yu'd want ta spend a little time on solid ground after.." He trailed off and I figured he was probably thinking about how I'd been tortured during the ship invasion. He huffed and then sat back down, looking at the flames again. 

"After almost a year on that flying antique of yours?" I interjected, trying to save him, he was looking uncomfortable and I wanted him happy and chatting again. "Ya, it's nice to be planet side. I just hate camping, that's all." And before he could start questioning me about why I hated camping so much I added "How does learning more about Terra help you learn more about yourself? Are you Terran?!" And it was an honest question, I was pretty confused. 

"Na, I ain't Terran" he finally responded after a long sigh, he was back to looking tired again. "I'm a Centurion. We was human once, couple thousand years ago. Afore them bastard Kree got thar hands on us n started doin' all kinds a genetic experiments." 

The Captain proceeded to give me a quick history lesson on the Kree. It was pretty fascinating, I'll admit. I still didn't know a whole lot about the various different alien races, and Yondu's gruff voice had taken on a softer quality that left me mesmerize. I quickly forgot about my personal discomforts as he sucked me into the story his words painted. When he got to telling me about being a battle slave I found myself crying silently. Not out of pity, but for the brutally crushing loss of both his childhood innocence and the betrayal by his parents. I knew what that kind of betrayal was like. Intimately. 

As he continued to tell me about Stakar, and his eventual falling out with his mentor/rescuer, I wondered just how many people Yondu had trusted with the details of his past? I fell asleep that night staring at the stars, warmed by the campfire, and lulled by the gruff voice of my Captain. I think I like camping again.


End file.
